Three's a Crowd (Hiatus for Editing Purposes)
by Neonculr
Summary: I am the middle born in a set of triplets. My rowdy sisters and I like to keep to ourselves and discuss our fields of study, rather than listen to other's pointless drama. Our grandmother has decided to enroll us in the prestigious Ouran Academy, and I'm about to get more than I bargained for. Is this real life, or some kind of rom-com manga?


Being identical to someone is strange, but when you're identical to two people things tend to go crazy. At least, that's what I always thought. My sisters and I never got the chance to wonder about it, or rather, we never bothered to wonder about it. We were too concerned with each other, our own lives, and how much we could discover. To us, knowledge was power.

In order to be as powerful as possible, we each took different paths of intellectual interest. My older sister took a liking to sciences and medicines. It seemed as if there wasn't any creature she didn't know or any sickness she couldn't figure out. My younger sister took interest in the arts, such as literature and paintings. There wasn't a story she didn't know, or artist she couldn't name.

I was interested in technology. Devices and mechanisms, electricity and programming, anything to do with it. One year my interests swept me to a Makers Faire, and there I discovered anime. As a knowledge seeking person, I searched for information and related topics. In my searches I discovered otome and vocaloids, then introduced my younger sister to steampunk.

In recent years I've become quite obsessed with anime, otome, and vocaloids. Many would call me an otaku, and others would go as far as calling me a weeaboo. I prefer to say those few call me a weeaboo because I studied Japanese, and now I can speak it fluently.

Despite how it seems, my sisters and I do also have a bit of a normal life. We'll sit together and talk about things like Harry Potter or how difficult some homework assignment was.

Well, the latter is avoidable. I have one sister who's in trigonometry and another sister who has studied English for as long as I can remember.

I assume our thirst for knowledge came from our family. My mother knows everything about world history, and she travels quite a lot. My father knows everything there is to know about philosophy, and often shares some of his wisdom with us.

My grandmother knows a great deal about mechanics and the history of automobiles, while my grandfather is the greatest chef I'd ever met.

The history doesn't stop there. Every Saturday my family gathers to hear stories about other family member's accomplishments, and each time I become more and more motivated to accomplish feats as great as they did.

"Jacob! Hurry up, we're gonna miss the plane!" My older sister said, picking up her suitcase.

I nodded and unplugged my cellphone, tossing the charger in my bag and plugging in my earbuds. I followed my sisters out to the car, and once inside the chauffeur drove is to the airport.

"Ugh, I hate airports. The security takes forever." My youngest sister complained, taking off her reading glasses and closing her book.

"Once we get to the gate you can start reading again. Besides, now Mom gets to study Japan in person." My older sister replied.

Baxter and Morgan were always speaking before I could, and I eventually learned listening was a virtue. When you spent your time talking, sometimes you only listened to yourself. I guess it isn't a bad thing, but sometimes you need someone to keep you grounded.

"Jacob, what are you doing? You're next." Baxter said, speaking to me from the other side of the metal detector.

I quickly walked through and slipped on my shoes, following my family to the gate.

Having a masculine name may have been embarrassing during the first day of school for most females, but as I stated before I wasn't very interested in others reactions. I was too concerned with my studies to bother.

"This is bothersome, isn't it? At least Jay taught us Japanese before we came here." Mo said, throwing her arm over my shoulder.

"Well, you taught her conversational French, and I taught you guys German. Hey Mom, what language did you teach us?" Bax asked.

"I taught you sign language." She said, smiling over her shoulder.

"Don't forget, I taught you guys Greek." My dad added, smiling alongside my mom.

I thought it was cute how my parents still showed affection in public. They always held hands, and they were always happy and playful. They had the occasional fight, but eventually one would get the other flowers or do something sweet and they'd forgive each other.

"That reminds me, I wanted to teach you guys Binary Code..." I said to myself.

"Momma, where are we going to school?" Mo asked, fiddling with a stray piece of hair.

"Gramma said you're going to go to Ouran. Didn't she send you uniforms yesterday?" Mom said, sitting down as we reached the gate.

"Mom, are you sure Gramma knows were female?" Baxter asked, setting her handbag in the seat beside her.

"Oh, don't be so fussy. You know Jacob wouldn't wear those yellow dresses anyway."

I looked at the ground and fiddled with my thumbs.

"Ah, it's fine Jay. Besides, with our haircuts no one will be able to tell were female anyway!" Mo said, smiling as she opened her book back up.

She was right. Just last week we all got our hair cut short. Granddad cried, but Gramma told him to quit being whiney.

It was a tradition in our family. Females had masculine names, and males had feminine names. We were raised believing males could wear dresses, and females could work on cars. We were always told gender stereotypes, or any stereotypes for that matter, were ridiculous and didn't apply to anything. We were driven away from negative influences, and now as fifteen year olds our parents are taking off many restrictions. We're allowed to judge the world for ourselves.

"Wow... Japan is amazing..." Mo said, looking up from her book.

"You're right. This place is full of history and culture! I'm getting excited!" My mom said, pumping one of her fists in the air.

"Look Dad, Mom's being cute!" Bax said.

Dad smiled and hugged her from behind, pecking her cheek and saying, "She's always cute."

"Aww!" My sisters chimed.

I smiled.

Japan is going to be great.

{…}

"So, what are we going to do? Are we going in as girls in a male uniform?" Mo asked.

"We'll get in trouble. I don't know much about this place, but there must be sex specific uniforms for a reason." Bax replied.

"So, were pretending to be male?"

"Don't see why not."

"Then remember to use 'boku' or 'ore' instead of 'watashi'." I said.

"Jay! I was starting to think you didn't have a voice! When did you last talk to us?" Mo exclaimed.

"I think it was about two months ago, when she taught us Japanese." Bax replied.

"Come on Jay! Use your beautiful voice!"

I laughed.

{...}

"Everyone, today we have three new students. Please, be kind to them." The teacher said.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Baxter Satire, and these are my brothers Jacob and Morgan Satire. Pleased to meet all of you!"

Bax sure was good at pretending to be friendly...

School passed quickly, and it was as uneventful as we had hoped. With no new friends and no drama to worry about, I separated from my sisters and went to find a bathroom.

I did find a bathroom, but the problem was finding my way back. I had no idea where I was, and I somehow managed to get myself in a completely unfamiliar corridor.

Where did they get off too? I bet they left me here as a prank. Well, thanks guys.

I heard noise coming from one of the rooms, so I figured I could ask directions to the main gate. When I did open it, somehow rose petals swirled around me and revealed a group of boys standing around a chair. One was sitting in it, and they gave an obviously rehearsed, synchronized welcome.

"Excuse me, I wanted to ask-"

"Another boy? This is almost as disappointing as when Haruhi showed up." An orange haired boy said.

A smaller boy glared at him, and before I could speak up again a blonde boy showed up right in front of me.

"Hello there. How can I help you?" He asked.

"I wanted to ask dire-"

"Hikaru, Kaoru, Haruhi, isn't this young man in your class?" A boy with glasses asked.

"Yeah, with two others. They're just like Haruhi, quiet and antisocial." Two twins said. I recognized the orange haired boy from before, and his twin looked just like him.

"You're one of the Satire children, aren't you?" The boy with glasses asked.

I nodded, giving up on being heard.

"Satire? What are the Satire kids doing in Japan?" A very small boy asked.

Is it just me, or are these people perfect candidates for the cast of a manga?

"Satire? Who are they?" The other small boy asked.

"The Satire's are a very successful family, and everyone in it has some sort of expertise or talent in a certain field."

"Wow! You came here all the way from America!?" The blond boy asked, getting close to me again.

"May I ask, which Satire child are you?" The boy with glasses asked.

I looked at him, and suddenly I remembered something. "You're... Kyoya Ootori-san, right?"

He nodded.

"My name is Jacob. I'm the middle child."

"You're the one who made Kazaki's Empire, right?" The two orange haired boys asked.

I turned to them. "Yes. Aren't you the Hitachiin twins, the second place champions if Kazaki's Empire for three years?"

They eyed me suspiciously.

I then remembered what I had opened the door for in the first place. "Oh, I came here to ask directions to the main gate. I got lost."

The small boy spoke up. "You don't know his to get to the front?"

I shuffled my feet and looked away from everyone.

"I'll show you the way." The smaller boy said. He separated from the group and walked with me.

"My name is Haruhi Fujioka. It's nice to meet you." He said, smiling at me.

I looked at him for a second, and he really reminded me of a trap. I almost doubted he was male. "Pardon me if I'm being rude, but are you female?"

He looked at me. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, first of all you have a very feminine appearance. Second, though your voice may be low, it also sounds feminine. Third, 'Haruhi' and 'Haruka' are feminine names."

"You're right. I am female."

"Don't tell anyone, but so am I. My sisters and I received male uniforms from our grandmother, so we wanted to see how long we could keep up an act."

She smiled. "It's not hard. You just have to remember to use 'boku' or 'ore' instead of 'watashi' to seem more masculine."

"That's what I told my sisters. I'm going to have to give them a refresher course in Japanese to make sure they don't mess up."

We laughed together.

Haruhi showed me the way to the front gate, and as we waved goodbye we jokingly exaggerated the -kun honorifics to our names.

My sisters found me shortly after and we headed home. I told them about my experience, leaving out the part about Haruhi being female, and they found it amusing.

"Are you going to visit the Host Club now? I don't think they allow gay people in there." Bax teased.

"Probably not. The only reason I'd go back is if I got lost again or needed something from one of the hosts." Eventually my feedback eased out of the conversation, and I returned to my usual listening habits.

The next morning I saw Fujioka sitting by herself in class, and I decided to greet her.

"Ohayou, Haruhi-kun."

She smiled. "Ohayou, Jacob-kun."

Silence settled around us, and I decided to try something new and spoke up. "What are you doing sitting by yourself?" I asked.

"Hikaru-kun and Kaoru-kun aren't here to bug me yet, so I'm enjoying my short time of peace."

I laughed. In an effort to continue the conversation, I asked another question. "Those two are in the Host Club with you, right?"

"Yeah. They like to pick on me."

"Poor Haruhi-kun. Do they annoy you a lot?" I was actually making conversation, and Haruhi was listening to me! This was great!

"No, I wouldn't say they're annoying. Sometimes they go too far and make me mad, but for the most part I like being around them. I think the same goes for most of the Host Club."

"Is the blonde boy the leader?" I asked.

"Tamaki-senpai? Yeah, he's the president. Even though he's obnoxious..." She muttered the last part under her breath, and I assumed it was true.

"Is he? I'd assume Ootori-san would be in charge."

"He works behind the scenes..." Haruhi muttered.

Just then Hikaru and Kaoru showed up, and they looked at me.

"Oh, it's one of the Satire's." One of them said.

"Are you friendly with Haruhi?" The other one asked.

No honorific? They must be very friendly with her then. "Yes. Haruhi-kun and I became friendly yesterday." I replied.

"Jay! Bax is being mean to me!" Mo whined, jumping on my back.

"I am not! Jay, make Mo give me my book back!" Bax exclaimed.

"Just let me read it!"

"You already read it!"

"I didn't memorize the page number Bax! Just one more time!"

"I haven't even finished the book!"

I sighed and plucked the book out of Mo's hand. The two instantly stopped arguing and looked at me with sad faces, but I wouldn't stand for it.

"This is a classroom. You're being rude."

"He's mad at us!" They exclaimed.

"Don't be mad Jay! We'll be good!"

"I'll let Mo have the book!"

"No, I'll let Bax finish it!"

I glared at them. They instantly hushed, and I muttered, "You're noisy."

They quietly went back to their desks and sulked.

I looked at the book, and a large blush crept up on my cheeks as soon as I looked at the cover.

_50 Shades of Grey_

This was nothing to bring to school! What the hell!? I'm going to scold them later! I let out a frustrated sigh and looked at Haruhi.

"Sorry. They're always a bit obnoxious when they're excited." I said.

"I'm surprised you got them to calm down so quickly. You hardly said a word to them."

"When they're around I don't talk much. Usually they speak for me, so when I do talk to them my words impact them a lot."

Just then the bell rang for class, so I said goodbye to Haruhi and the Hitachiin twins and sat in my seat.

When lunch rolled around I ate by myself, and I found it relaxing to sit in the gardens and listen to the fountain. It was fairly cool, and I enjoyed when the slight breeze would surround me with the fragrances of the surrounding flowers.

I started thinking, and I remembered how I thought everyone in the Host Club would be a great cast member for a manga. They reminded me of something, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Hell, what was it!? It's on the tip of my tongue! I swear! What game was it!?

"Jacob-kun? Is that you?" Someone asked.

I looked up and saw Tamaki. "Oh, Suoh-san. It's nice to see you again." I said, smiling at him.

"Nice to see you too, Jacob-kun. What are you doing by yourself?" He asked.

He's quick to use a familiar honorific...

"I needed to get away from my brothers. They're noisier than usual today, so I came out here for some peace and quiet." I replied.

"Oh, sorry to disturb you." He said.

"It's fine. I wouldn't mind having company, as long as you're not obnoxious." I replied, gesturing for him to sit down.

"Are you liking it here at Ouran?" He asked.

"Yeah, I guess. My brothers and I aren't really too interested in being social, so it's basically the same as our middle school." I said to him, looking up at the sky.

"Why don't you like being social?"

"I don't not like being social. I'd rather say I'd never really done it. I've always been the quiet one."

"Isn't it lonely?"

I moved my gaze from the sky to him. "You know what they say. Three's a crowd."

He smiled. "You're a lot like the Hitachiin twins. Year before last, they hardly talked to anyone besides themselves."

"What changed?"

"I got them into the Host Club."

I eyed him. "What are you trying to do?"

"Nothing." He said, putting his hands up defensively. "I just wanted to chat with you."

I turned my gaze away from him. There was a moment of silence, but I broke it with a long, heavy sigh. "What's it like having friends? Real ones?" I asked.

He was quiet for a minute, and when I looked at him he looked back at me with a look of surprise. He quickly smiled and said, "It's great. Real friends help you whenever you need them, and they make you happy. In turn, you naturally want to do the same for them."

I looked away from him. "I think my brothers would get lonely if I made friends. They're not used to not having me around to mediate them."

"Do you think you guys will be together forever?"

"I don't know, but I doubt it. I'd love to say it's true, but I'm sure I'm going to get left behind."

"What makes you say so?"

I wondered for a second. Why did I? I thought seriously for a moment and replied, "If they're not around me, I'm afraid."

That's right. If I know I can't always talk to them, I feel anxious and uneasy.

"I'm pretty sure it's because my parents were never really around, and when we were younger no one could tell us who was who. So, we stayed with each other. We all knew who was who."

Yeah, I remember now. We would stick together in elementary school because nobody knew our names. Sometimes, people actually thought we were all the same person.

"I think I'm afraid no one will know me if they leave. They'll get along fine. They talk, and they know how to converse with one another. I usually don't talk much, even with them, so I think if they left me alone, I wouldn't be able to tell who I am."

I've known this for awhile now. I'm sure my sisters haven't had this thought cross their minds, and I'm sure it won't until it's too late.

"But it's okay."

Yeah, it's okay.

"I want them to be happy. Even if it means leaving me behind, I want them to be with the people they love."

Because... they made me happy for so many years.

I smiled in spite of myself. "I guess I do know what it's like to have real friends." I said.

Is Tamaki still listening, or did he got bored and leave? I wouldn't blame him. Even if he's still here, it'd be fine if he just got up and left. I should get used to it now, so it won't hurt as much as it will later.

I wonder if this is how Hikaru and Kaoru feel. Maybe if I get friendly enough with them I can ask about it.

God, I'm a serious jerk. I seriously just dumped all of this on someone who probably didn't want to hear it in the first place, and I bet he doesn't know what to say. Hell, if someone told me this I wouldn't know what to say.

"Sorry."

Was one apology enough? No, I don't think any about of apology could make up for it.

"Sorry for whining to you."

"Don't be."

I looked at Tamaki in surprise. His smile was so gentle, and he didn't look sad in the slightest. He looked... happy I had told him.

"Now I know what Hikaru and Kaoru feel like. Thank you."

He's... thanking me for being pathetic? How is this the same 'obnoxious' Tamaki Haruhi talks to me about?

Just then the bell to class rang, and Suoh stood up. "Thanks again for talking to me. I'll see you later, Jacob-kun."

Then he walked away.

As I watched his back get farther and farther away, I found myself laughing. What a weird guy.

The more I talked to him, the more I realized he _was_ a perfect main character for a manga. And, as I spent more time with him, I started to analyze his character more. He was very well put together, and I'm sure his personality has some sort of logical backstory to it. The same thing went for Haruhi. I almost wanted to call her a tsundere, but she's wasn't harsh to everyone. She only got irritated when someone is purposely trying to irritate her, so I concluded she was a regular, ordinary person thrown into a crazy situation.

The Host Club group would make for a great manga cast... I bet Haruhi would be the main character.

About a week after I had talked with Suoh in the garden, I passed my bedroom door and heard my sisters talking inside. Being a bit nosy, I listened in. I had just gotten home, and I'm sure my sisters thought I had been out with Suoh.

"Say, hasn't Jay been unusually distant?" I heard Bax say.

"Yeah, but... I think I know why."

Huh?

"Did we do something?" Bax asked.

"No, I don't think so. I heard her talking with Suoh-san in the gardens awhile ago."

...What?

"What did she say?"

"She said she's scared we'll leave her behind, but it's okay because we'll be happy."

"Were not going to leave her behind!" Bax yelled.

"Bax, think about it. We're not going to be together forever. One day, one of us is going to get a boyfriend or make some friends. We can't stay like this forever."

"But Mo-!"

"Bax, you already knew this. Just because no one can tell who's who doesn't mean were not different people, remember? It's why we studied different things, so we could grow apart from each other and grow stronger."

"But Mo... I don't want to be apart from you guys..."

"And I don't want to either. But, this doesn't have to happen fast. All three of us can work together on getting stronger. After all, we're sisters. We help each other."

"Do you think Jay has been dealing with that thought by herself?"

"...Yeah. But not anymore."

I opened the door as hot tears fell down my cheeks, and both of my sisters looked at me with teary eyes. We didn't say anything. We just looked at each other, and I moved towards them. I held both of them, and they held me too.

Just like Mo said. We'd get stronger and grow, together. We'll all become individuals.

After our little intervention, we all were a lot happier. Mo and Bax stopped fighting, and I started to talk to them more. It was still a small contribution, but they acknowledged I was making an effort. I balanced my time with them and with other people, and I realized I was happier too.

"Jacob-kun! Can I talk to you for a minute?" Tamaki called one day a few weeks later.

"Yeah, hold on!" I called back. "I'll talk to you later." I said to the girl I was talking to. I walked over to Tamaki, and before I could say hello he had already started talking to me.

"I've noticed you've made a lot of friends in the past few weeks. Did something happen?"

"I talked with my brothers about what I'd said to you, and we all decided to become our own individuals. So, we're trying hard to make friends. We hope one of them will eventually be able to tell us who's who."

"You've gotten farther than those Hitachiin brothers have. Anyway, I came to tell you something."

"What is it?" I asked.

"I want you to join the Host Club."

"...What?"

"I think you'd fit in great with us, but I still don't know what type you are. I'd suggest having a trial to see if you'd work as a host."

I looked at him and tried to figure out what his motives would be. From what I gather, he started up the Host Club to please girls, and he has no need for other hosts. I can't tell what aspect I have he thinks the club might be missing, but I was willing to participate.

For my character research, of course.

"Umm, sure, I don't see why not. Haruhi-kun has told me a lot about the Host Club, so I have a general idea of what I'm supposed to do."

"Great! I'll see you after school then."

Then, he turned his back and left.

This was sure to be interesting.

{...}

"So, Tamaki-senpai asked you to join the Host Club?" Haruhi asked. We were walking there together.

"Yeah, but I don't know what he thinks I have that you guys are missing." I replied.

"They said they had the perfect club before I joined too. I can't think of any…"

I've got it. I know exactly what the Host Club is missing.

"Jacob-kun? Are you alright?"

"The big brotherly type."

"What?"

"The big brotherly type! The boy is so much like your older brother, and it breaks your heart because you know he only sees you as a little sister! But when he pats your head and smiles at you, you can't help but feel there's something more!"

Haruhi looked annoyed.

"Call me a damn rich person all you want in your head Haruhi-kun, but I know my stuff. I've been an otaku for years."

"Otaku?"

"Yes, an otaku. And based on this situation, I've been placed right in the middle of a rom-com shoujo manga. Based on my research, you're the main character!"

Haruhi looked amused.

"Unfortunately, otakus aren't usually well-received in Japan. It depresses me honestly, but if someone asks I'll openly express my weirdness with them."

"I don't think it should matter much. People should do what makes them happy. No one has any right to judge them for it, unless it's hurting someone else."

"Exactly!"

We finally reached the Host Club, and it was like a scene from a clichéd movie. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at us, standing still for several seconds.

Tamaki raced towards us, appearing within seconds and standing tall. His pointer finger stretched out, almost touching my nose, and he said, "Your training as a host starts now!"

…What did I get myself into?

As he went on explaining something about putting your pinky down as a cushion for the cup, my mind wandered. What type of character would he be? He wouldn't be any type of dere, and although he's naïve and cute, he's not fitting of a Lolita title. Honey took the cake on that one.

"Viscount Druitt…" I muttered.

Yes, I got it! Viscount Druitt was definitely one of his ancestors. But what type of character is Viscount Druitt? He was a pervert and a flirt; thank god Tamaki didn't inherit his perviness. Is there even a character type for him? Sure he's the princely host, but besides being princely he's a narcissistic idiot.

God, he better be glad he's so cute.

Contradictory…? No, vain? Calling him vain didn't seem right. Idiotic? That'd be mean.

"Also, the most important thing to remember is how effective looking up at an angle is."

"…"

"Did I shock you into silence?"

"…"

He waved his hand in front of my face. "Jacob-kun?"

"Hmm? What? Sorry, I wasn't listening."

Within the next second he was crouched in a corner moping.

God, if I don't figure this out I'm going to lose my otaku card…

The twins appeared behind me and laughed. "You're just like Haruhi! She ignored Tono when he first tried to teach her too."

"Suoh-san, though looking up from an angle is effective in most cases, I believe a kiss on the hand will be much more suited from a princely character. I feel Ootori-san would have the most effect by looking up from an angle."

"Oh? What makes you say so?" Ootori asked.

Oh no. Here it comes.

"Ootori-san is the cool type, correct? I assume a cool type comes with an air of mysteriousness and dominance. Looking up from an angle, with the right expression, I guarantee it'll drive the girls crazy."

Shit, now I want to keep talking! Damn it otome, why do you do this to me!? No! Now I'm thinking of situations they can do! Damn it inner fan girl, calm down!

He finished scribbling in his notebook and smiled at me. "Thank you for the information, Jacob."

…What the hell is with this group and not using honorifics?

I sighed.

The Host Club opened shortly after, and Tamaki gave me free reign to do whatever I wanted. He said something along the lines of "viewing my natural attributes to determine which type of host I could be" or something along similar lines.

"Jacob-kun, why did you join the Host Club?" One of the girls sitting with me asked.

"Suoh-san asked me to join earlier. I don't know if I'm going to be a host or not, but I want to see what it's like."

"Are your brothers going to be hosts too?" Another girl asked.

"They're… Not interested in this sort of thing." I said.

Oh hell. If those two became hosts they'd destroy the place, and I'm sure they'd reveal themselves as girls. Those two, since becoming more social, are suckers for pretty faces.

"What's it like having two identical brothers?"

Brothers, yeah… "Well, they get on my nerves when they fight, but most of the time we just learn from each other. Baxter is really smart and knows a lot about medicine and biology. Morgan is educated in the arts, like paintings and literature. I learn a lot from them."

"What do you study, Jacob-kun?"

"I study technology. Things like robotics, computers, and machines."

"Wow! You must be great at building things!"

I chuckled a bit. "My whole family is skilled. My father is a world famous chef, and my mother is an established world history professor. She's taught at a lot of Ivy League colleges."

"Wow! What else has your family done?"

I had a long conversation with them, and I had a lot of fun. I was genuinely happy, and when they stood up to leave I ruffled each one's hair.

"Say, Jacob-kun, can we request you tomorrow too?"

I smiled wider. "Of course! I'd love to see you all again."

They smiled and left.

Just then, the doors opened and I was tackled.

"Ha! I got him first!"

What the hell?

"Damn it! Since when have you been faster than me!?"

Mo stood up and gloated, leaving me on the floor.

"Whatever. Anyway, hey Jay! We came to check up on you." Bax said, holding out her hand.

I stood up by myself, brushing off my uniform and ignoring her hand.

"Yeah! We wanted to make sure you weren't lonely without us." Mo teased behind Bax's shoulder.

I looked up from my uniform at them, glaring.

"Aww, are you mad Jay? What'd we do this time?" Mo asked.

"C'mon Jay, we just wanted to say hi. Lighten up."

"Haruhi-kun, do you walk home?" I asked.

"Hmm? Yeah, I do. Why?" She replied.

"I'll walk home with you. It'd be dangerous to go by yourself."

"Jay's ditching us!" Bax exclaimed.

"You don't have to do that. I'll be fine by myself." Haruhi replied, clutching a serving tray to her chest.

"Please, I want to. I don't like taking a car to and from school."

"Oh, okay then. I don't see why not."

"Jay, don't be like that. Mom's going to throw a fit." Mo whined, resting her chin on Bax's shoulder.

"You're noisy." I spat, glaring back at them. "If you want to talk you can request me. I have girls waiting." I turned back to Haruhi and happily said, "Thanks. We can head out when club's over."

"Jay!"

"If you're going to be obnoxious, I'm not going to give the book back." I snarled.

"What, this one?" Mo said from the other side of the room.

She held up the book for everyone to see, and my face flamed red. I was upon her in an instant, snatched the book, and got mad. I'm definitely going to scold them later!

"We'll talk when I get home."

"Shit, he's really mad now!"

"Let's scram!"

As they disappeared through the doors, all I could think was 'Stop swearing!'

When the doors finally closed and their footsteps vanished, I sat on one of the couches and rubbed my temples.

"Jacob-kun? Are you alright?" Haruhi asked.

"I'm fine. Those two are just becoming too much to handle."

"What kind of book did they have?" One of the girls visiting the club asked.

"It's erotica."

"Erotica!?" Everyone screeched.

"I just wonder, what were they thinking bringing it to school? They would have never done this before."

"Before?"

"Before we started becoming social. They used to be calm and logical, but now they're out of control. I worry about them."

"What are you going to do?" Tamaki asked.

"I'm going to do things my way."

I didn't specify what I meant, and the Host Club continued on.

I walked home with Haruhi after school, and I was happy she lived in the same direction I did. Her apartment complex was nice, and I wanted to see what her house looked like, but I had already been rude enough by inviting myself to walk with her. I waved her off and continued home.

When I walked through the door Bax and Mo were fighting, yelling about who made me mad earlier in the day. A maid and my mother were trying to stop them, but they continued to scream at each other. My father appeared before I spoke up, but even his presence didn't calm them.

What the hell has gotten into these two?

I slammed the front door behind me, catching everyone's attention and halting the fight. I gripped the straps of my backpack tightly, and I couldn't tell if I was extremely furious, or unbelievably sad.

I tossed the book at them and walked upstairs without a word.

"Wait! Jay! Come back!" Bax called.

"We're sorry!" Mo exclaimed.

I didn't turn around.

{...}

Tamaki told me I was an official Host Club member yesterday, but I couldn't seem to be happy about it. My sisters started coming home later and later, and now they wouldn't talk to me. I'd apologized for being mad at them time and time again, but they've stopped responding to me completely. They don't even look at me anymore, and they've immersed themselves in the group of bad students at school. I was scared for them. I didn't want anything bad to happen, and I couldn't help but feel like it was my fault they were acting this way.

What have I done?

I still spent lunch alone. Sometimes I would talk to people, but recently I'd stay in the garden by myself.

Surprisingly, I took up writing again. In elementary school I loved to write, but when Mo took an interest in the arts I gave it up. Now since we were apart, I took it back up. I had filled three notebooks with words, and I had a separate one where I worked on a novel. I forgot how much I loved writing.

I still fulfilled my duties as a host, and walked home with Haruhi every day. I didn't tell them much about my sisters now, and when they asked I said they were doing fine.

One day after club we were all hanging out, and a comfortable silence filled the room as we all did whatever we pleased. I sat in a chair by the window, looking out at the courtyard as the sun inched down towards the horizon.

Just then I saw a group of people walk towards the gate, but stop just under the cherry blossoms. They lit up cigarettes, and I was about to turn away in disgust when I noticed something. I ran to the window so hastily the chair I was sitting in toppled over, startling everyone in the room.

"Jacob!? What's got you so frantic?" Tamaki asked.

What the hell…? What are those two idiots thinking!? I'm going to go out there and-!

I was halfway towards the door when I stopped. Do what? Yell at them? They won't listen to me. Hit them? They'll jump me. Tell my parents? That will only make the situation worse.

"Jacob-kun?"

I turned away from the door, facing the Host Club Members, and did the only thing I could do. Smile and cry.

"Jacob-kun, what's wrong!?" Haruhi exclaimed, running to my side.

I hastily wiped my tears and said, "I'm sorry. It's nothing. I'll be fine in a minute."

"Do you know those people outside?" The twins asked, looking out the window.

I wiped the next wave of tears away before they could fall, and quickly shook my head. "It's fine."

"Jay-chan, why are you sad?" Honey asked.

I crouched down and wiped my eyes more, begging the tears to go away. Crying wouldn't make them stop. All the tears are doing is making everyone worry. God, why won't they stop!?

Quick, think about something cute! Makoto Tachibana, Grell Sutcliff, Chi, Natsuki Shinomiya!

It's not working!

Okay, think of Hootsweets and Ceejles! Bakapandy! All the cute fanart!

_IT'S NOT WORKING_.

"I… think I just got left behind." I replied.

"What? What do you mean?" Tamaki asked.

"My brothers… are outside smoking. Never in a million years did I think they'd even touch a cigarette."

"What? Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Haruhi asked, trying to console me.

I shook my head. "Mo and Bax stand a certain way. No one else stands like them."

"They do? I always thought they seemed normal." Hikaru said.

I stood back up and wiped my eyes again. "Mo always has his hands either on his hip or in his pockets. Bax has his arms folded or chews on his fingernails, but they both put their weight on their left leg."

I pointed out the window and said, "The way Bax is holding the cigarette, his fingers are touching his lip. Almost like he wants to chew them, but the cigarette is in the way."

"How can you see that far? I can hardly make out a face."

I looked back at Kaoru and said, "I have 20/20 vision. I can see a lot."

"What are you going to do now?" Haruhi asked, changing the subject.

I looked at the group of smokers for a second, and a wide smile covered my face.

"Nothing."

"Huh?"

I smiled wider, soft laughter escaping my lips. "Absolutely nothing."

Soon they stopped coming to school with me, and shortly after stopped coming home. My parents were worried sick, and I struggled to come up with excuses. Hopefully, what I wanted would happen soon.

"Haruhi-kun!"

She looked back from her couch, and I beckoned her over.

"What is it?" She asked, sitting on the chair opposite of me.

"Mo and Bax have still been coming to school, right?"

"Yeah, but they haven't gone to class."

I smiled. "Perfect."

Later that day I caught glimpse of them leaving the campus with the other students I had seen them with before. They had bags under their eyes and slouched a bit, standing closely together as the others stood beside and in front of them.

No more than three days now, I'd say.


End file.
